Two heads are better than one: regulation of DNA replication by hexameric helicases

Genes Dev. 2004 Sep 1;18(17):2039-45. doi: 10.1101/gad.1240604.

Abstract

DNA replication is tightly regulated in a cell cycle to ensure the integrity of genomic information during successive passages. The replication process can be divided into three major steps as follows: the initial assembly of prereplication complex (pre-RC) at the replication origin, the distortion of the origin (or origin melting) for replication initiation, and the elongation phase during DNA synthesis. In this process, long stretches of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) must be unzipped in a relatively short time window within a cell growth cycle. The daunting task of unzipping is carried out by a class of efficient molecular machines called helicases, which are shown to be ring-shaped oligomers. Here, we will focus on the current understanding of the replicative helicases involved in cellular and viral DNA replication in eukaryotic cells.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • DNA / genetics
  • DNA / metabolism*
  • DNA Helicases / chemistry
  • DNA Helicases / metabolism*
  • DNA Replication / genetics
  • DNA Replication / physiology*
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Replication Origin / physiology

Substances

  • DNA
  • DNA Helicases